Polycarbonate resin possesses excellent mechanical strength, particularly impact strength, electrical properties and optical clarity, and is widely utilized in a variety of fields of office automation machinery, electric and electronic machinery, automobiles, and architecture, among others. Polymers used in fields such as office automation machinery and electric and electronic machinery are required to have high flame retardancy. Typically, polycarbonate resins are made flame retardant through incorporation of both a flame retardant and an anti-drip agent to prevent the dripping of molten resin from a burning polycarbonate resin.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,775,367 discloses flame retardant polycarbonate compositions comprising alkali or tetraalkylammonium salts of perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids. U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,710 discloses flame retardant polycarbonate compositions comprising alkali or alkaline-earth metal salts of perfluoroalkanesulfonic acids.
A need nevertheless remains for compounds that can be added at low levels to polycarbonate resins in order to make them flame retardant. The present invention provides non-perfluorinated, sulfonated salts that impart name retardancy to polycarbonate resins.